Dark Academia - anyone who loves this style?

[highlandcoo]

And where to find it?

This is how I want to dress this winter. More skirts and dresses rather than trousers as my waist is not the best and the trousers can look bulky unless you have a good waistline I think.

I love tweed and wool and flannel and autumn colours. Not black! Although brown is sometimes hard to find. Love brown leather for boots and bags. I really want to get away from jeans and chunky boots for a change.

I think I can knit some jumpers and cardigans. But I would love a big tweedy coat. I have a couple of really nice brown tweed hats from a shop in Edinburgh who made the hats for Peaky Blinders. But I need the right sort of coat to go with them. My long cosy puffy coat is cosy but totally wrong.

Any aficionados out there?

You poor thing @Bookist. Nice hot shower and an early night- maybe tuck yourself up with a bit of DA vibe fiction!

I finally took up a pair of wide legged dark brown trousers yesterday and wore them today with nice cream silk shirt and dark brown belt/shoes. Trusty satchel helped keep the “academia” component going but I’m thinking a nice check/tweed blazer would finish it to perfection.

Might have a rummage in charity shops this week as budget will not stretch to much else at present (thanks to this thread!😜)

@Bookist Poor you and poor DD. Hope you both feel a lot better very soon.

Joe Browns sell them and also a brown cardi @Darklane

Aww, thank you. I've told her that all the best people have to get their hearts broken once! I honestly think he's done the most sensible thing for them both. He's a lovely lad but very much a small town boy, whereas DD is very ambitious, at a very good university and doing her placement year with one of the Big Four investment houses. etc. I'm sending her little surprises in the post to try and cheer her up.

Anyway enough of me. Not really rocking the DA vibe today. Wearing a charcoal grey, cable sweater with ripped, straight leg blue jeans, burgundy Argyll socks and chunky black loafers. At least these jeans feel a bit loose thanks to me inadvertently stress dieting since the weekend!

Getting my copy of Rob MacFarlane's 'Oldways' delivered today which definitely belongs in the Dark Academia pantheon. Going to relax and start it tonight with a huge cup of tea x

I hadn’t thought of Robert MacFarlane as DA but of course! Underland is an AMAZING one of his too.

@Bookist and @RedLem0nade, have just ordered both books. Getting some brilliant new reads and watches from this thread, never mind the clothes inspiration!

Thank you. His books are gloriously folksy with lots about forgotten British lore and tales. My copy of Underland arrives tomorrow. I have ordered both in hard back as a treat, and because I think hardback books are more DA? Although you could probably just about get away with a slim paperback of poetry from Faber & Faber?

I've also just switched to my Autumn/Winter perfumes which are Clinique Aromatics Elixir for day and Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir for evenings. Both most definitely belong to the Dark Aesthetic lexicon.

I bought the Underland as a hard back too! I had never heard of this author but his books are right up my street - I love all things folksy, mythological and ancient 🥰

Will be heading to Boots in a few days and will check out those perfumes as I need to do a seasonal switch too. @Bookist you are a seriously bad influence on me!!

I'm always happy to lead anyone into temptation, mwahahahahahahaha!

On the book front - has anyone read 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt? I haven't but it often gets linked to Dark Academia as a an early example of the genre.

Yes. It's marvellous. One of my fave books of all time! Very much recommend.

I am actually just about to begin this, years too late! There was a copy at the charity shop just staring at me near the till, feel like it will be perfect dark academia and dark autumn vibes...

Have some pics off one of my Pinterest boards! I love the use of rich and vibrant colours in the lone photo. There's also one of Tove Jansson (the Moomins), she was such a cool dresser.

Am finishing reading: The Secret Hours by Mick Herron.
Don't British spies in films & books usually encapsulate DA style? Shambly, Edwardian-era lecturers (ie most definitely a spy) or wasp-waisted women digging through old archives (will get a tap on shoulder and then be a spy)... Excited to begin the Donna Tartt that's just been mentioned. I looked her up as I've never actually seen a pic of her, and she's exactly what I imagined.

Yesterday I painted my nails darkest red, re-polished my black ankle boots, and spent a long time squinting at myself in the mirror pretending I had a blunt fringe... Unfortunately I don't have suitably dramatic eyebrows, or wear glasses to pull one off.

Hmm, sounds like I need to read this!

@evtheria fab photos - I now have to have a long flowing grey skirt to wear with a black polo neck... I also love the picture showing the blue dress with the mustard cardi under the coat. Quirky but confident - may become my new mantra 😊

I am now a week in to stopping the nail biting and am looking longingly at my collection of dark polishes. Hurry up nails!!

I did have a blunt fringe for years but it looked a bit weird with the big white stripes that came through when I ditched the dye (looks better than it sounds - hopefully!) so have grown it out. Now I'm rethinking with your description.

In other news, I have ordered tortoise shell reading glasses - and a dark gold chain to hang them from!!! I will be oozing DA out my pores 🤣🤣

Sorry, meant to say, @evtheria, I love Tove Jansson. Listened to a "Great Lives" episode on her a while back and she's definitely another DA Quirky but Confident hero 😀

Oh fgs I've just ordered the Donna Tartt book now too. I am way too easily led 🤪

@evtheria I love these photos! Especially the long skirts with jumpers, and the top left photo with the fab jacket and cross-body satchel. Just perfect.

@Bookist it's so hard when your child is upset. She'll be OK and probably as you say it's for the best, but it's just getting through the hurt isn't it.
So, perfumes .. I'll be switching from Guerlain's Pamplelune to Jo Malone's Orange Bitters shortly. Now very hard to find so I'll be eking it out extremely carefully. I also have Clinique's Wrappings; equally difficult to get hold of so I'm being stingy with it too!

And photos of my finds at the vide grenier the other day .. ba&sh cords in a really nice damson colour, a mouse grey ( can’t think of a better description although there must be one!) velvet jacket and a black velvet jacket. The fake-fur collar on the first jacket is definitely being discarded as a bit tatty.
I was trying to get away from black this winter, however I have a nice long black tweedy skirt so hopefully it’ll be good with that.
11 euros in total! I need to get back from holiday and see how I can combine them with my existing clothes now ..

@helenahandcart78 well done re stopping the nail biting! Get some lovely dark polish on them asap and that'll encourage you to persevere.
I'm planning a manicure soon. Dark polish of course!

On the book front - has anyone read 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt? I haven't but it often gets linked to Dark Academia as a an early example of the genre

yes…. It’s completely the reason I got interested in DA. Donna Tartt is a great example of androgynous style… not really a waspish Edwardian lady though. I’ve got Babel on Audible which is based in Oxford university but im not loving it as much as Secret History.

One of my top five books ever. What a read (what a ride).

On the perfume front, I am currently wearing this which is totally fabulous. I think some of you might like it.

The Secret History is great!

Reading the characters’ fantastically pretentious discussions reminded me quite a bit of a guy I used to go out with.

So the book also doubles as a reminder of my happy escape😁

@highlandcoo wonderful finds! I'm particularly enamoured with the velvet jacket - very dramatic!

🤣🤣🤣